Brothers
by Lemons246
Summary: We don't blame ya Harry..." "Your family now, ever since you got on the platform with us." "That's what brothers are for, mate." Attonement of guilt and sorrow for George and Harry.THIS IS NOT YAOI!NOT YAOI!


An: I got this idea from a 'ficlet' and the picture that accompanied it. I hope you like!!

It was still a shock to see only one Weasley Twin. Harry couldn't remember them being separate before. Previously the quieter of the Twins, George, had become absolutely, positively withdrawn. That morning, he'd accidentally grabbed one of Fred's trick wands, which had promptly turned into a rubber chicken. He hadn't spoken a word since. Harry found him, hours later, sitting by the lake, staring pensively at the breeze-rippled water.

Harry couldn't shake the guilt he felt every time he looked at George or Mrs. Weasley or, any of them. It seemed unfair that he should be alive and treated like a son when one of her true sons was dead and buried because of him. But even worse was to see George wandering around, half-dead inside. He'd taken to wandering himself, even dealing with the press, just so he didn't have to face the Weasleys and the one empty chair. When he stumbled across George, his first instinct was to run; he must be the last person George would want to see. But he knew he had to say something, just something to make the guilt go away for only a moment or two. He stopped a little ways behind George, opened his mouth,and then shut it again. It was no good. Nothing he said could possibly fix things, bring Fred back, break George from his depression, or make George forgive him. He turned to walk away.

"I don't blame you." Harry looked back, confused. George had raised his head, still looking out over the lake. "Just thought you should know… You need to stop walking around, and looking like your the one who made the wall expl…" He stopped and swallowed hard, trying to hide his sorrow. "It's not your fault." Harry sat down on the grass next to George.

"You shouldn't have been mixed up in it. It was my fight--"

"No. It wasn't, you stupid prat. Maybe defeating You-Know-Who gave you even more of a swelled head than usual, but it was never just your fight. And we knew what we were getting into."

"You had no idea--"

"We did." George fixed him with a glare, and Harry realized that George's glares just weren't as angry or menacing as Fred's had been. "So stop with all this noble hero stuff. It's bad enough what happened without you trying to pull yourself out of the family."

"But your brother…" Harry started. George's jaw tightened convulsively for a moment, but then he looked back at Harry with something of his old, friendly, smile.

"See, ya don't get it. _You're_ our brother too." Harry stared at him, bemused. "And not just because you're Ron's best friend, or because you're not shagging my little sister yet, you probably will be soon, And mind…" George's face turned stern and he wagged a finger at Harry. "I've got some choice words about that. But…" his expression softened. "You've always been our brother, almost always. Maybe the first time we saw you on the platform, or when mum made you a Weasley sweater. Point is, Harry, you could break up with Ginny, or you could have another huge row with Ron and never speak to him again. But you'd _still_ be family. You'd still be our brother."

Harry gaped, at a loss for words. He looked at George, and for a moment, felt he could see Fred as well. The two boys who'd helped him on the train, who'd hoisted him on their shoulders at his victories, who'd playfully teased his losses. The two boys who'd followed him around second year shouting "Seriously evil wizard!" and in doing so, had made the whole thing sound absurd and acted as non-too-subtle body guards. Who'd stood behind him when other people thought he was mad. Who'd bequeathed the Maruaders Map, their most precious possession, to him when he seemed in more need of it. The two boys who had, in fact, been like brothers in everything but name since the day he'd met them. His eyes stung, and he had difficulty swallowing.

"So the thing is," George continued, spreading his hands. "You can feel guilty if you want, but none of it was your fault, and we don't blame you for any of it, none of it. You've got nothing to be ashamed of." He looked at Harry, and Harry nodded, unable to speak. A mischievous grin lit up Georges face as he stood up.

"Well," he added in a different tone. "You could be ashamed of the fact that right now that you look like mum after she's read one of the sob stories in Witch Weekly, or of the fact that you managed to put your shirt on inside out. Or that this morning when you were trying to 'chat' Ginny up you had a big bit of bacon on your teeth. Or that your Muffling charm didn't work so well last night, and Charlie. Ron and I could hear the pair of you, or that we didn't hear the pair of you for very long..." He stuck his hand out to help Harry up. Harry took it with a large grin.

"So, any time I do something stupid, I can count on you being right there to take the mickey?" George's grin broadened and he clapped Harry on the back as they started back for the Burrow.

"That's what brothers are for, mate."

An: I loved it. Most of the ficlet is in her plus a tinny bit of my stuff so I guess I don't own it all but…ah forget it…hope you liked.


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